Footprints on My Heart
by Lyeza
Summary: A conclusion to the English-dubbed version of Cardcaptors. S+S


Footprints on My Heart

By Lyeza

Disclaimer: None of the characters in Cardcaptor Sakura/Cardcaptors belong to me. 

Hello, everyone! I have decided to write an ending for the English version. I hope you will enjoy it. (S+S)

Note: This takes place ten years after Li left for Hong Kong. 

_Some people come into our lives and quickly go;_

_While others stay a while and make footprints on your heart_

_And we'll never ever be the same again_

            "Why am I here again?" a young man wondered as he walked towards a bridge. The place had meant a lot to him. He leaned towards the railing and stared pensively into the water. Every year, he had traveled all the way from Hong Kong just to be here. Just to refresh his memory of what happened ten years ago; of the last time he met a very special girl who had never escaped his memory.

            "Sakura," he whispered as he ran his hand through his unruly chestnut hair. He had met her at a tender age of ten. He was too young to think of love then. "After all, what would a ten-year old understand about love?" he thought wryly.

            However, as years passed, he began to suspect that it might be love after all.

            "If it is not love, why do I keep thinking about her for the last ten years? Why is it that everytime my friends or family talk about my finding my future partner, an image of Sakura crossed my mind?" he pondered.

            It was beautiful afternoon. Couples could be seen walking past trying to enjoy the moment of tranquility evident in the park. Some of the girls who went past the bridge casted an admiring look at the gorgeous young man who seemed to be engrossed in his own thoughts. He, however, was oblivious to them. His mind was totally not focused on the present as his memory took him to the past where he last seen Sakura.

            "Don't you think its about time you go and look for her?" a raven-haired girl broke his train of thoughts as she joined him. 

            He turned to her in surprise. "Look for who?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

            "You know who I am referring to, Li," Meilin said.

            "I don't know if she remembered me," Li admitted wistfully as he turned his attention back to the water. "It has been too long since we met and we have not kept contact ever since. Maybe she has already forgotten about me."

            Meilin smiled. "Who can ever forget you?" she teased.

            "Sakura," he replied, slightly depressed by the idea.

            "That is not what I meant and you know it, Li," Meilin countered, frowning at the lost look that rarely appeared in her confident friend.

            "It isn't?" Li questioned distractedly, his thoughts obviously miles away.

            "I mean you are intelligent, honorable, kind, good-looking…" Meilin started but stopped when she saw Li looked at her.

            "You still love me," he remarked dryly.

            "Of course I still love you. It is the reason why I want you to be happy with the one you love. I care for you enough not to want to stand in your way of true happiness," Meilin countered. "If it's Sakura who makes you happy, I'll really pray that she will love you just as much as you love her."

            "You are a wonderful friend, Meilin. I'm glad to have you as a friend. I'm sure you will find someone who will deserve your love," Li said gratefully.

            Meilin grinned. "Of that, I have no doubt. Maybe he's even better than you," she teased.

            "Not very likely," Li quipped, giving her an arrogant look.

            "Anyway, I know you love Sakura. She had made such an impression on your life even at such a young age," Meilin said.

            "Why her?" he wondered aloud.

            "Why her?" Meilin echoed. "I don't know," she started sarcastically.

            "Don't you see how happy you are because of her? Just the very mention of her name makes you smile and honestly, Li, you have never been that generous with smiles," Meilin added.

            Li smiled wryly.

            "You even watch every tapes that Madison recorded during your card-capturing days with Sakura all the time. Sometimes, I wish I am her," Meilin continued with a sigh.

            "I've accepted that I love her already. It is just that I'm afraid that she might not feel the same way," Li admitted.

            "Don't you think it is about time you try to find out? You have nothing to lose by telling her how you feel and see how she reacts," she encouraged.

            "You make everything sounds easy," Li grumbled.

            "I know its tough but you can pull through," Meilin reassured him. Li kept silent.

            "I'll leave you to your own thoughts. Maybe you can summon the courage to meet her this time," she said, hoping that her friend would be brave enough to look for Sakura.

            "I'll see you later then," she bade and left him.

            "I should go and look for her," Li decided but the fear of rejection, as usual, held him back.

            Just then, a girl about his age stood beside him. Li looked at her in surprise. She appeared not have notice him beside her though. He took the opportunity to observe her. There was something about her that interested.

            "She's beautiful," he thought, as he noted her porcelain complexion, perfectly sculptured face and slight built.

            He, however, had no idea what her hair color was as she wore a hat, that complemented her forest green dress. 

            Sensing that someone was probably staring at her, she turned to the observer. Li's heart gave a leap when he noticed deep jade eyes staring back at him.

            "Sakura?" he wondered. Then he shook the thoughts away.

            "It's really not polite to stare," the girl remarked wryly, blushing slightly at the attention she received from this dashing stranger. Li quickly turned away.

            "I'm sorry," he said. For a while, no one said a thing; too absorbed in their own thoughts.

            Li had always been the kind who never attempted to be friendly to girls no matter how hard they tried to get to know him. Thus, he indeed surprised himself, when he curiously asked this stranger, "Are you waiting for your boyfriend?" Li almost kicked himself when the words slipped out of his mouth.

            The girl too was surprised by his direct question. "My boyfriend?" the girl repeated incredulously.

            Li blushed and turned away, hoping that the girl would not get mad at him for asking such a question.

            The girl smiled. "I can hardly wait for a boyfriend especially since I don't have one," she answered candidly.

            "I didn't mean to ask such a personal question," Li apologized.

            "It doesn't really matter. I seldom share things about myself with people I hardly know but you seem different. I feel as if I can talk to you about anything," she confided. "Kind of strange, don't you think?"

            "No, not strange at all," Li reassured her, rather pleased at her confession. "I am honored, actually," he said humbly.

            "You should be," she quipped. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

            "Just thinking," he answered.

            "Oh," was the reply.

            "I'm rather surprised that you don't have a boyfriend. You seem like the kind of girl guys will fight to go out with," Li commented.

            The girl made a face. "How flattering. Anyway, I've never had a boyfriend nor am I looking for one," she said.

            "Why not?" he asked, surprised.

            "I don't know," she replied.

            "Maybe you already have someone else in mind," he mused.

            The girl did not answer.

            "You do have someone in mind," Li realized, his heart felt strangely heavy at the thought of her probably already in love with someone. 

            "I doubt I will meet him again," the girl said sadly.

            "Where is he now?" Li asked, curious.

            "Probably in Hong Kong where he lives," she answered. Li turned to her sharply at her reply. "We met at the age of ten. We were very young then. I would never have thought that I would love him at that time but when he left, I was devastated. Everyday, I hope that our paths will cross again."

            By now, Li's heart was beating very fast. "Could she be…" he thought but before he could say anything, the girl continued, "I could never forget him no matter how hard I tried." She pulled away her hat, allowing her coppery tresses to fall freely until it reached her waist.

            Li was astounded. "Auburn hair, green eyes…" he registered in his mind.

            "What's his name?" he choked out.

            Sakura shot him a weird look at his strange behavior. "Li Showron," she said. "I love him and I'm sure of it. Only…only…" Sakura broke off, unable to continue.

            "Only?" Li prodded.

            "I doubt he remember me," Sakura finished.

            "He has not forgotten you," Li confirmed softly.

            Sakura raised her eyebrow in disbelief. 

            "Because I am him," Li added. "I have never forgotten about you, Sakura Avalon, for I love you."

            Sakura's eyes widened as he said her name. Then, her expression changed from disbelief to recognition to joy.

            "Li," she cried as she launched herself at him.

            Li chuckled. "A perfect reunion," he thought contentedly as he held his beloved in his arms.

The End.

I hope you have enjoyed this fanfiction. It is my first real attempt at one-shot fic. I did try doing a first person point of view at first but I guess, it is one of major weakness when it comes to writing. Anyway, thanks for reading.


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